The Otherkind Book One:Heart

~*~ 5 ~*~

~*~ 5 ~*~

In my dream, there was a boy with haunting, strange gold flecked eyes. I was panicked because I couldn't find him, stumbling around in a strange sort of darkness, a darkness that had a tangible thickness to it. When I did find him finally, he was in some sort of trouble. Horrific trouble. I wanted to help him desperately. All that mattered to me in the worst sort of way, was I needed to help him. Somehow we were attached to each other. Like we were married? Even in my dream I struggled over this foreign concept. It woke me up. There were tears on my cheeks.

"Married?" I whispered perplexedly sitting up. "Weird medicine they gave me." I murmured to myself, falling asleep again.

It was a fitful sleep and I kept waking up, hearing dad tiptoe in to check on me. Even though my sleep was broken I could barely keep my eyes open or even do much more than roll over. I slept through lunch and dinner. Every time I awoke there was an array of snacks and a drink on my night stand for me to pick at should I awake and get hungry. And when I would sleep, I kept seeing those penetrating, yet familiar eyes in my dreams.

Waking again, dad was hovering at my nightstand. "Shh, it's med time" he whispered looking very tired himself. Halfway sitting up, dutifully I took the pill he handed me and lay back closing my eyes again. This time I slept through the night.

I woke up testing my body carefully. I felt stiff and sore but not to where I wanted to just lay around. In fact that was the last thing that I wanted to do. I could have taken today off from school but I needed to get up and do something. Coming down for breakfast, dad was already making toast for himself not expecting to see me down so early.

"Morning baby girl" he said "Want some?" he pointed to the toast he was slathering butter on. "You have to be hungry. You didn't eat anything I left for you yesterday."

"Sure. Just toast is fine though."

"Nothing else? You sure honey?"

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry."

He looked at me over the top of his glasses. "How you feeling?"

"Not too bad, Dad?"

"Hmm?" He cut the slice for me that had originally been for him and put it on a side plate.

"I'm going to go to school after all today."

Looking over at me he frowned. "You sure you're up for that already? You have an excuse for the day off, doctor's order."

"Yeah I'm sure. I don't want to lay around here all day."

"Want me to take the day off, hang out with you?"

I smiled. He was critical staff at the plant and had taken most of yesterday off already.

"No. I'm just going to go in." I reassured him.

"Well, I'm against the idea, and we both know what the doctor said." He patted my shoulder gently. "You know, I'm so glad this was not any worse."

I looked at my hand ruefully. "Me too."

"I guess it is pointless saying anything about you needing a sturdier car." He had a funny look on his face as he handed me my toast.

"It is pretty mote now." I began nibbling on the toast. Watching him I saw his thoughts mirrored on his face.

"What's that look for?"

"I talked to Uncle Mark last night."

"Oh?" I took another bite.